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A legend talks about his passion for monozukuri after 40 years of focus on endoscope manufacturing

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Aizu Olympus produces over 300 types of gastrointestinal endoscopes, accounting for approximately 70% of the global market share. We spoke with Shoji Abe, who has been devoting his passion to the manufacturing of endoscopes for 40 years, about his uncompromising approach to monozukuri that has produced world class endoscopes and his desire to pursue “patient safety”.

The reason for 300 types of endoscopes

After graduating from a local technical high school, Shoji joined Aizu Olympus and has been devoted to the manufacturing of endoscopes for 40 years. He has continued to focus on monozukuri. Most of the employees at Aizu Olympus, including Shoji, are from the local area of Aizu. The character of the people of Aizu is that of traditional artisans who are tenacious and patient. This kind of character is perfectly suited for the precision manufacturing of endoscopes.

“The characteristics of endoscope manufacturing is the fine and specialized manufacturing process. For this reason, there are many things that cannot be done with commercially available tools and equipment, so we have to prepare these ourselves. In some cases, we need blades to cut parts with an internal diameter of just 1mm, so we need to achieve micron-level precision.” (Shoji)

Aizu Olympus is the mother factory for Olympus' endoscope manufacturing. It has approximately 70% share of the global market for gastrointestinal endoscopes. It could be said that almost all the endoscopes used in hospitals around the world are manufactured by Aizu Olympus.

The endoscope product line exceeds 300. Its feature is high-mix minimal-volume production. This is because they have listened carefully to the voices of healthcare professionals and carefully shaped their detailed requests into reality. The meticulous and tenacious nature of the people of Aizu is clear.

The “Shoji Notebook” for turning ideas into reality and the spirit of trial-and-error

Shoji has made it a habit to write down ideas in a notebook to visualize the ideal state of things and clarify its concept. As soon as he comes up with an idea, he writes it down. Sometimes he even adds detailed illustrations so that other people can understand his ideas. It is no exaggeration to say that thanks to this “Shoji Notebook,” Shoji's ideas can be shared within the company and that they can take on the challenge of innovative craftmanship.

“My monozukuri begins with writing down my ideas in a notebook, making them easy to understand by using diagrams, and then throwing the question out, “Wouldn't it be amazing if we could do this?” (Shoji)

For example, one of the ideas that came out of the Shoji Notebook was an innovative method for the assembly line that is currently being planned. Until now, in the final assembly process for endoscopes, when one process was finished, the worker would carry the product to the next process. This work of carrying the product by the worker does not directly increase the value of the product and it is kind of an “inefficient work” in terms of production efficiency. Also, the worker cannot concentrate on one task, and this can lead to a decline in quality.

To address this, we are adopting a production method called “one board assembly,” in which the product is fixed to a single board and all work is completed on that board. The board is automatically transported, and the worker is able to concentrate on the task in front of them. This eliminates the need for transport, and we can expect to see improvements in work efficiency and quality. The idea for this one-board assembly came from the Shoji Notebook.

One employee said, “it’s like magic how Shoji's ideas take shape within the company.” This is known as “Shoji Magic.” However, Shoji himself is cautious about an idea suddenly becoming a finished product.

“If we don't repeat the process of trial-and-error, our ideas will never become good. Instead of saying why we can't do this or that before we try, it's important to start actually making things happen with the motto of ‘let’s give it a try first.’ Even if everything doesn't go well, I say that it's okay. A baseball player may only be successful 30% of the time and still be considered a top player, and so I try to be bold and take on challenges.” (Shoji)

Even when he's not working, Shoji enjoys creating things with his friends, and on his non-working days he forms a band with his colleagues from different age groups. He's a first-class guitarist, and he's also a multi-talented person who even writes his own lyrics and music. When he's in a band, he's so into it so much that he's always writing new songs to play in the band.

His stance is to always give his strongest effort with his hobbies and endoscope manufacturing with a trial-and-error approach. Shoji Notebook and his trial-and-error spirit may have helped spread the word of Shoji's endoscope manufacturing to the world.

Approaching endoscopes from the perspective of “Patient Safety”

Shoji's uncompromising attitude towards monozukuri is underpinned by his commitment to ‘Patient Safety’ which prioritizes patient safety and reduces the risks associated with medical treatment to the greatest extent possible.

“I want my family, relatives, friends, and other loved ones to be able to use endoscopes and get well with peace of mind. I think that this honest feeling is the starting point of Patient Safety.” (Shoji)

When employees are assigned to the endoscope manufacturing site, they tend to narrow their focus on their own area of work. Sometimes they lose sight of the fact that the people they are working for are healthcare professionals, and that the end users of their work are patients. Shoji stresses that it is exactly at times like this when we must be aware of Patient Safety.

The time for creative destruction

Looking ahead, the need for endoscopes is expected to increase around the world, particularly in Japan, which is facing an aging society. In addition, the volume of production is also expected to increase. On the other hand, Japan's working population is on a downward trend, and the issue will be how to increase the productivity of endoscope manufacturing. To this end, innovation that incorporates the use of digital technology and automation will be emphasized.

“What I expect from Aizu Olympus in the future. This may sound a little harsh, but I think that because Olympus is a top runner in the field of endoscopes, there is a risk that we may lose sight of ourselves. We must not forget that the design and manufacture of endoscopes is a result of the achievements of our predecessors. At the same time, it is dangerous to think that there is a bright future ahead.” (Shoji)

Rejecting the status quo, we must carry out 'creative destruction' with our own hands and create new innovations. Shoji believes that the people at Aizu Olympus have a strong will to do this.

※ This story is based on interviews conducted in January 2025.

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